A Place Where Darkness Can't Reach
by chiriko1117
Summary: The 75th Hunger Games, the 3rd Quarter Quell had rules originally written that Snow discarded in favor of getting rid of Katniss, a problem growing in District 12.  This is what would have happened had he left the original Quarter Quell rules alone.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games and intend no infringement on the franchise.

Dedication- To everyone who believes in freedom over everything else.

**_The 75th Hunger Games, the 3rd Quarter Quell had rules originally written that Snow discarded in favor of getting rid of Katniss, a problem growing in District 12. This is what would have happened had he left the original Quarter Quell rules alone._**

**_..~.._**

**_..~.._**

**A Place Where Darkness Can't Reach**

**Chapter 1**

**.~.  
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It shouldn't have been as easy as it was to lure Vina off to the small cluster of trees near the Victors Village. And normally I wouldn't even try to use this place as a make-out spot, due to the high traffic of Peacekeepers and Victors these days. But it was the reaping today, and the houses were already empty, and most of the Peacekeepers were already wandering towards the town square, silently but steadfastly ushering people in.

"Jols," Vina's voice whispered urgently, worriedly against my neck, her breath hot and sticky against my skin. I made a soft shushing noise as I lifted her skirt some. Vina had beautiful reaping clothes, nowhere near as fancy as mine; being from the Seam her family did what they could. Even if I was from the merchant part of District 12 I wasn't picky when a beautiful girl practically begged me to touch them. Seam or Merchant girls were girls.

I heard the hitch of her breath when my hands grazed tender parts of her skin no one aside from her touched. The simple noise stroked my pride so I stroked her again.

Vina Augner was not my first choice of girl for the last hurrah before the reaping, but when I caught her eye that morning as she walked with her little sister and one of her brothers, I knew she would be willing when I smiled at her and a solid blush colored her cheeks. In fact I had been trying to catch Honey Twen's eye for the last week, the little minx would have none of me of course. Her loss really. Now Vina was getting my full attention.

With the sunlight streaming between the leaves I gently laid Vina down on the soft moss there. Her eyes were bright, and a little glossy with lust, it was my favorite thing to look at. A woman in the throes of passion was the single most beautiful thing to me. She pulled me down to her lips again, red and plump from the kissing we'd already been doing.

It didn't take us long, from start to finish. I was much too anxious to really be able to enjoy myself, and Vina didn't seem to be aware of time at all. I hovered over her; girls loved the feeling of strong arms protecting them. At least that was what other girls had told me.

"That was…" she whispered, almost as if dreaming and her muddy brown eyes met mine.

"JOLS!" Someone shouted from behind me.

"Shit-" I muttered angrily. Vina made it worse by squealing with surprise and bucking me off of her; I rolled to the side, one hand trying to pull my pants back up the other protecting myself from the ground debris around us.

"This! Mom tells me to come looking for you and I find you doing-this!" Vance said with a suppressed shout. He stomped closer; ducking behind a low hanging branch Vina's shawl was lying on with my spring over coat.

I gave him a frustrated look and Vina scrambled to her feet, busily fixing her dress and hair, all the while not looking in Vance's direction.

"Vina-" I began, smoothing back my hair in a seductive way. She gave me a trembling doubtful look. The look of a girl just realizing what had happened and that _maybe_ she'd been used. My face fell. I didn't _want_ her to think that, I didn't want her ashamed. I heard her mutter something before storming off, snatching the shawl away from Vance as he held it out to her.

It would be no use to call out to her. Mostly because it would likely draw more attention to us, on the off chance someone had heard or seen Vance come back here. Bitterly I bent down and snatched the leather tie for my hair and began to pull it back into the tiny pony tail all the women in 12 went wild for.

"I was going to try for a romantic good luck, way to ruin it Vance." I said darkly, keeping my voice low. He signed to me what he thought of that statement, and it begrudgingly pulled the corner of my mouth up in a smirk.

"Did you see Liola?" He asked, deflecting the awkward conversation.

"Not back yet?" the rigidity in my voice made me sound harsher than I intended. I snatched up a twig before sauntering to Vance and picking up my coat.

"No. I was going to head to the Tunnel, but got distracted seeing your bare ass in the trees."

"Don't tell me you watched," I snorted a little embarrassed but mostly trying to get Vance to blush.

"Only enough to see that my technique is still better than yours." He smirked. But behind our banter I could tell he was worrying about Liola. Without needing to say anything we both went in the direction of the Tunnel.

"What did Vina say as she passed by?" I asked.

_Good luck at the reaping_. Vance signed to me eyes narrowed with focus on the path before us.

A rage built at the thought of the reaping that would happen within the next four hours. I controlled my anger the best in the family, which had been obvious from the beginning. I attributed that to the fact I was almost always being watched, when you were a handsome young man from a merchant's family people paid attention to you. Most of the time I didn't care that everyone looked at me because I was the "handsome" Vapaus boy. But when Liola began actively although secretly rebelling against Panem and the Capitol at the age of 8 and we had to put it out to the public that she was a sickly child I was glad I could take the focus off of her.

The _poor_ Vapaus children, was a common thought around the Merchants in district 12. My mom and dad played it up though; those two never missed a chance to ensure that my siblings were over looked. My job was to be the normal one, the one people talked to and gave their pity to. Mom and dad were too busy taking care of Vance, our near deaf older brother as far as the rest of district knew, and caring of our little sister Liola who was supposed to be a sickly child, barely able to attend school.

The reason for all of the lies? The reason I didn't have any real friends, aside from the flock of girls I would flirt with like it was a dying art? Was because Liola after Vance's first reaping was so horrified at the Hunger Games she stole food from our cupboard and one Saturday early in the morning, and left claiming she was going to visit friends. Four months passed with our entire family being oblivious to the fact the youngest member was sneaking out on weekends and trekking through the wilderness in search of _something_. She had been searching for the truth, or help, or both. And it wasn't until four months later she found it. She found her Lost City. It was ancient city to the south west of the District, which she would travel to at least once a month. It would be dangerous for anyone to know what she was doing, but one night at dinner she confessed all of it to us.

For months our parents _begged_ her not to go back, to stop before anyone got hurt. But it was Vance that seemed to understand Liola and what she was trying to do. Eventually we, although _**I**_ was too young to know why, agreed to let her seek out the truth. They put it around that she was sickly so she could sneak out for longer periods.

Vance had been more supportive of her drive and determination than I, and helped her dig a tiny tunnel under the fence on the West side of town. It was just past the Victor Village, and hidden near where I had just made all of Vina's fantasies come to life.

Vance stooped down and pushed the boulder covering her tunnel. It was a good thing she was still fairly skinny for a 15 year old, although most kids were that way in the district, that hole wasn't very wide. The hum of the fence was loud in my ears as I looked through it.

"She said she would be back by now," Vance said nervously.

"It's not like we can go out there to find her," I gestured to the fence.

Last year it would have been possible to duck around the fence, or cut a spot in it wide enough to fit through. But after the 74th Hunger Games and the stunt Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark pulled our District had the Capitol tighten its grip around us. It had been a good forethought on Vance's and Liola's part to dig a tunnel in the first place. The Peacekeepers didn't even bother to look for the tunnel.

His eyes were tight watching the trees. Sometimes I watched their close bond and felt envious of it. That wasn't to say Liola and I weren't close. In fact she and I had a used some of the old rotting books she scavenged from the Lost City to learn hand to hand combat together. But it was Vance she would go to first with a new discovery. It was him that she taught sign language to first. And after realizing how useful it was they taught me.

I suppose it was because I'd always been a little jealous of her ability to learn that it put subtle strain on our relationship. That and I was mildly bitter at her single minded goal of learning and finding a way to free Panem, that it had basically imprisoned me, and the family in a _different_ way. She didn't care. Liola didn't need friends when she had the ancient words of long dead politicians and freedom fighters carving a path for her.

Mostly I was jealous for her dedication and although it seemed selfish, her goals were completely selfless.

"Jols you have to stay here till she comes through, I'm going home to calm mom and dad down." Vance ordered me; I gave him a cocky grin.

"Is this waiting punishment for my evil deeds?"

My big brother gave me a pitying look that I didn't understand and I waved him off he nodded once his eyes serious, before heading back in to town. The twig I had picked up was effortlessly playing over my knuckles. I had started doing it ages ago to impress girls, but as I got older and started understanding the danger my family was in for supporting secret rebellion it became a nervous tick.

An hour passed, and I sat down on the ground, eyes focused on the twig rolling over my knuckles. Liola was really cutting it short.

Over the buzz of the fence I heard someone shuffling deep in the woods, then I saw her, the golden brown hair bobbing quickly as she sprinted in to view. She didn't see me waiting in the trees till she took a scanning look on this side of the fence before jumping down the hole on her side.

"Hi Jo," she said brightly, trying to wiggle out of the hole with a sack of things she'd foraged from the ancient city. How she ever found anything useful there was beyond my comprehension, and I never asked.

"Mom is going to yell at you," I told her, a small grin forming at her exuberance. She shrugged causally not caring.

_As long as she does it quietly_, she signed to me. I laughed quietly behind my hand, knowing mom would have to yell with sign language. She was nowhere as good at it as us kids were so she would usually just throw up her hands and scream wordlessly before storming off to her sewing.

_I got you something_, Liola added while I helped her dust off the dirt from her clothes.

_Later_, I said back and gestured to the opposite path that took us the long way back. It was a precautionary measure.

Objectively I could see my little sister would have been quite the beauty if she cared enough about her looks to try. I never worried about boys trying anything with her, she simply didn't have the time for them, and they thought she was a weak sickly Vapaus girl, hardly worth another look.

_Seam girl today huh?_ She signed when we reached the main road.

I pushed my lips together. _How did you know?_ I asked. She coyly smiled at me before plucking off a dark long hair from my jacket. My brows rose in appreciation of the evidence. Must have stuck to me with the make out session before we took off my jacket.

I anticipated some sort of jab from her, as I always did with Vance. But Liola let it drop with that.

.~.

I had been right, mom yelled at her. To stop myself from smiling at the wild gesturing of my mom trying to sign angrily I took my hair down again to run a comb through it.

Vance and dad had gone off as soon as we arrived to get spots in the town center. Mom finished yelling at Liola long enough to pin her hair up and fasten a fancy hair ornament to her long brown hair.

Vance and I had the same basic look, I was slightly taller and more muscular, my jaw longer and more defined. We had the same sandy blonde hair, which matched our fathers. All of us kids had his bright brilliant green eyes. Liola however had seemed to inherit an exact mix between our parents hair color. Mother had been from the Seam. She had lost a brother to the games the same year dad lost his sister. That was the last Quarter Quell; the one Haymitch Abernathy had won. Now with the 75 Hunger Games and the 3rd Quarter Quell both my parents were at their wits end with dread over this year's rules. Dad was the eternal optimist and said that something good always comes from something bad. He may have lost his sister but he found my mom as a result of the last Quell.

I wasn't sure the Capitol could be much crueler with the rules they made this year, not that they just made them up this year. Apparently some sick bastard had made these rules up a long time ago. But for the 3rd Quarter Quell they were going to send _siblings_ in to fight. Brother and sister.

It only intensified my parents worry when Liola insisted that she and I strategize the day it had been announced. So against my own desires, I would spend two afternoons a week with her practicing fighting moves in the basement where mom kept her extra scraps of cloth and thread.

Trying to fight as one being with four arms, fluidly, was her goal. We hadn't quite done it, but I humored her and tried. It depressed my parents, and hell it depressed me to think that we could be picked. But she never wanted to leave anything to chance. Not _my_ sister.

"I would rather final freedom than to accept these chains," Liola whispered looking at her hands in her lap as mom finished with her hair.

It was the family motto Vance had taken from a story Liola had brought back to him.

Mom and dad ran the clothing store across from the shoe repair and the butchers. Mom was an expert with a needle and thread, something she'd hoped her little girl would pick up. But eventually when Liola found books and writing to be a more worthy use of her time Vance and I were the one to take up the mantel. Mom took pride in dressing us as if we were from the Capitol, and with the materials she had to use it was very impressive what she could do. I was wearing nice sky blue slacks with silver piping, and a jacket that faded from silver at the collar to blue that matched my slacks. Liola was wearing a light peach flowy dress that went to her knees. My clothes had been made from an old dress of Liola's from another reaping, and dyed this way. Liola's used to be curtains in the Butchers shop. They had gotten blood on them over the years and he sold them to my mom for cheap. She could work magic with soap and water. Liola and I were the finest dressed kids in the district on reaping day. There was no denying that.

Liola seemed to dislike the transformation from plain girl to cute young woman, as she scowled darkly looking at her reflection in the dingy mirror over the sink.

We hurried down to the town square, mom hugging us both fiercely before doing the sign for good luck. We were the last two kids to arrive. I squeezed Liola's shoulder lightly before we were to go to our age groups. Suddenly I found my arms full with her as she wrapped her arms around me. I suppressed a smile and kissed the top of her head, right next to the hair ornament.

I saw her duck in with the other 15 year olds, and because we were so late she was close to the aisle. I had a similar problem with the 18 year old crowd. Herm, a classmate from the Seam, and Iwen shuffled over a bit for me. I scanned the crowd looking for Vance, once I found him I looked for Honey. She was behind me and in the middle of the 17 year olds. She looked like a girl ought to on a fine spring day, well except for the tight fear in her eyes, but that couldn't be helped on reaping day. Vina caught me looking at Honey and her eyes narrowed with shame before she looked away.

The Victors took their spots; Katniss was sitting next to Mayor Undersee. At least Katniss didn't have to worry about her sister Prim being picked again, they didn't have a brother of reaping age. Peeta's eyes were guarded as he looked through the crowd. I bet he was worried for Brenden, his best friend. Long ago, long before Liola had gotten it into her head that anything could be done against the Capitol and President Snow, I used to be their friend. I noticed he was holding Katniss's hand, and they were gripping each other like they were going to be blown away with the wind.

Feeling a pair of eyes on me I looked to find Haymitch Abernathy's watery drunk eyes watching me. Did he know who I was? It was unlikely.

His eyes flicked away to watch as Effie Trinket, unable to get a better district, did her happy little speech about how excited she was to be here. Her accent was completely grating on my ears. There was something about the Capitol accents that made my body queasy and ache. My stomach started to roll, and I fought to keep the pain of it off my face.

Mayor Undersee read the Treaty of Treason and the History of Panem, as well as the list of District 12 illustrious winners of games past. Then he read the rules for the 3rd Quarter Quell, his voice thinly hiding his own contempt.

I hadn't been paying attention until he mentioned it, but he pointed out the one large glass bowl in the middle of the stage, brimming with names on slips. Normally I would only have 7 in there. Liola would have 4. But on all of Liola's slips my name was added, and all of mine had her name as well. We were linked and bound together in that bowl. Just as every other brother and sister across Panem was.

Our cousin Tilla lived in the Seam with my Aunt and cousins had her name in there 25 times. Vina had over 43. She had three brothers all reaping age, and she was the only girl of reaping age in their family. I had to close my eyes tightly to block the sight of that giant glass bowl full of names.

You could hear the collective intake of air from the crowd as Effie merrily dug her hand into the papers. She dragged the moment out, either because she was a sick twisted woman or because she liked having the entire country waiting on bated breath for her.

"Liola Vapaus and Jols Vapaus!" She said happily, completely murdering the pronunciation. It was only after I realized she mispronounced my name that I realized why she had.

She had picked _our_ names out of that bowl. I was frozen to the spot, the little twig from hours earlier that I had been playing with snapped loudly in my hand as I heard a muffled sob come from the crowd.

Mom.

I heard some of the boys and girls next to me whispering their sympathies to me. But really it fell short because I could hear their relief. The relief it wasn't _them_.

Mechanically, aware only seconds must have passed I stepped away from the 18 year olds and out into the center aisle. Fully intent on waiting for Liola to reach me, we would walk together.

There was a small amount of murmuring and I turned my head to see what was happening, instinctively looking for her little hair ornament. She was standing there the other 15 year olds whispering for her to move.

"Come now don't be shy!" Effie trilled happily. I spared the stage a glance, and I looked away when I caught the sight of Peeta's pale face. I made a gesture to Liola as I saw Peacekeepers slowly approaching from the back. She causally crossed her arm over her middle and signed GO to me.

Whatever stunt she was going to pull she didn't want me involved. I debated for a second on whether I should do as she said. But years of following her and Vance's lead had me slowly turning around to go the short distance up the stairs.

Effie seemed to be relieved to have one of us on the stage after what seemed like an eternity after calling out the names.

"Why you must be Jols Vapaus!" She chirped. It took all of my restraint not to correct her pronunciation. Instead I turned on the charm and nodded with a hesitant smile, clearly showing my worry over my position. Whatever Effie was about to say died in her throat as our attention was turned to the Peacekeeper taking Liola by the upper arm to lead her out into the center aisle.

She went completely limp as he tried to pull her towards the aisle, falling to the ground. But most people that gasped were taken aback when her bright green eyes were open, blinking easily, as if she were day dreaming. It was clear she hadn't fainted.

Then I knew what she was doing and I clenched my fists. Liola wasn't stupid. She was probably one of the smartest people in all of Panem, and in a sane world she would have been able to do something with her brain. In our families many talks about how to fight this revolution, this rebellion we were all hoping for, Liola had found a crazy idea somewhere in the moldy stacks of books she'd rescued.

Passive resistance, she called it.

It was the only real time I had ever yelled at her for being an idiot. I didn't understand how letting your attacker beat you or even kill you would ever win a battle, ever win anything really. But as I watched the Peacekeeper struggle to drag her to her feet, her beautiful peach dress getting dirtier and dirtier I began to understand what she meant.

Another Peacekeeper came to help and tried to get Liola to her feet. And I could tell one of them desperately wanted to slap her for the effort and embarrassment she was causing on live TV. She wouldn't let her feet support her body and the two Peacekeepers had to drag my little sister on the ground all the way to the stage, lifting her fully when they made it to the stairs.

Just as the image of Katniss and Peeta with the berries had been of fleeting defiance, my sister had just given the entire country an image of a young girl, so pretty and delicate looking being dragged to almost certain death, against her will.

The Peacekeepers set her on Effie's other side, and I hadn't noticed until Effie moved away from me that the Escort had been digging her long nails into my shoulder with anticipation. Liola swayed on her feet, as if about to start dancing, before she slowly sunk to the floor and demurely rested her hands in her lap, looking passively at the ground.

"A round of applause for the Tributes of district 12, Liola Vapaus and her brother Jols Vapaus." Effie attempted, clearly trying to salvage this train wreck of a Reaping.

Unlike last year where everyone had chosen to defy that request with silence, that type of behavior would not be tolerated this year, not with the grip of the Capitol tightening because of Peeta and Katniss's defiance. There was as smattering of clapping, but not enough to be considered "support" for us.

It was then that I wondered how far Liola was going to take this passiveness. Were they going to have to drag her everywhere? If she kept this up they would likely do something to her for so actively protesting. She was prepared for this, I knew. She wouldn't have done it if she hadn't thought of all the consequences. Which was probably why she hadn't wanted me to be a part of it, she didn't know what they would do to me, and she didn't want to risk it.

But after the anthem Liola rose to her feet gracefully, I had to take my eyes off of her as we were being lead into the Justice Building, but I could feel the anger from the Peacekeepers directed at her.

It only really hit me that we had been reaped, that we were going to the games when I saw Liola pushed a bit harshly into a tiny room, which would be used to say goodbye to our loved ones.

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Is it worth me to continue this story?

V

V

V


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games and intend so infringement on the franchise.

Dedication- To everyone who believes in freedom over everything else.

**_The 75th Hunger Games, the 3rd Quarter Quell had rules originally written that Snow discarded in favor of getting rid of Katniss, a problem growing in District 12. This is what would have happened had he left the original Quarter Quell rules alone. What this means for two siblings from District 12 is yet to be determined._**

**..~..**

**Chapter 2**

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I had to be in shock because I couldn't remember how I had walked into this tiny room, how had I gotten here? My brain tried to catch up with the events of the last ten minutes and I stumbled in to the plush red velvet couch and ran my hands through my hair. My stomach felt like it was burning and I wished for something to occupy my hands, as they clenched and unclenched on my knees.

I didn't have to wait long before I had a visitor.

Dad came in with mom on his heels, her shoulders hunched and her eyes already puffy from tears.

"Oh Jols," mom cried before wrapping her arms around me. I buried my face in her hair, she was shorter than me so I had to stoop down some. I was determined to soak up all of her that I could.

Opening my mouth I was unsure of what to say.

"You and Liola, you'll be fine _together_." Dad said, his voice wavering. I looked up into his eyes, eyes that matched mine and felt prickling of tears.

"_How can I wish either of you good luck_?" mom cried desperately still clinging to me.

Wishing me luck meant she wanted me to come home over Liola.

"I'll protect her, I promise, _one_ of us _will_ come home to you, I'll try to make it her, I will." I promised them, my own words surprising me.

Was I really that self sacrificing? I knew Vance would do anything to keep Liola safe, but I always figured my competitiveness and bitterness towards Liola had killed all of the big brother protection type urges. Then I actually thought about someone cutting into my little sister, hearing her cry out in pain and I knew I was _exactly_ that kind of big brother.

Mom pulled away, her dark hair a tangled mess, her pale face splotchy and wet. She was searching my face hungrily.

"I love you my baby boy." She said as calmly as she could with tears still streaming down her face. Dad had his turn hugging me, and I wasn't usually the type to hug other men but I was unlikely to have this chance again, in fact I knew it as I held on to him, that this would be the last time I saw my parents. I wouldn't let Liola die.

Before pulling away dad did a rare loving gesture that had been something his own parents did to him. He gently ran the tip of his nose from top of my cheek bone to my temple.

"Here," mom said fumbling for something in her pocket. She pulled it out; it was a silver chain, with a pendant. I had seen her wearing to the Reapings before. And if you didn't know what it was you would think it was a mockingjay. But it was a mythological creature called a Phoenix, wings of fire spread wide. It was a tiny pendant and you would have to look closely at to see all the details of the carved opal, but it was something precious to my mother.

_I love you both_, I signed knowing that I would likely never be able to say the words aloud. Mom made the sign for my name and the one for forever. Before the three of us dissolved in to more hugs.

Too soon the Peacekeeper, one already disgruntled with my sister's stunt ordered them out. My mom's crying became audible as they pulled away from my door.

Vance came in and strode right to me grabbing me by the shoulders tightly. He and I didn't say anything for a long moment.

"I would take your place if I could." He said finally. And I nodded slowly, seeing the traces of wetness on his face. He had just come from seeing Liola.

"I'll keep her safe." I promised him. He broke into a sad smile, tears building in his eyes again before nodding and turning his head slightly so I couldn't see the way his face was scrunched up tightly in pain.

"Remember when we were competing with each other to get Li to say our names as her first word?" he asked in a whisper.

I remembered. I had only been three almost four, and it was one of my first memories of Liola. She couldn't even walk yet, and Vance had the idea she would be able to speak sooner if we coached her. She had been such a precious little baby.

"You said I cheated because Jo wasn't my full name." I admitted frailly.

Vance was outright crying now, face still turned away, hands still gripping my shoulders tightly.

"She said… she said she would make sure _you_ came home. She said that it was her turn sacrifice something for you." I wasn't sure if I was supposed to consol my brother, and his weeping made me feel like I should be feeling something _more_.

"Please… Jols… just I can't lose both of you." He pleaded his voice thick with the emotion, knowing he could likely never see either of us again.

"You won't." I told him, and pulled him in to a hug. He was the older brother, and there had always been a sort of calm about him, a dignity that I seemed to lack. He taught me how to flirt with girls, and gave me the basic ideas of what to do with one when I had one. And I was never going to see him again, I had to make sure Liola went home.

He took a long breath to calm himself, and I had only just started to let the tears come when he signed to me, _I know you don't like to, but trust Liola. She's smart she'll get you two set up to be as safe as you can, but you have to trust her._

I sighed bitterly. _I'll try_, I said. _Sometimes her ideas though…_

_I don't want our time together bickering over this. She loves you, so much more than I think you realize Jo. I love you too, and I will be here rooting for a miracle that maybe you'll both come back_.

Tears were hard to suppress with the hope on his face as he signed his wish for us both to live. Katniss and Peeta had done the impossible. There would be no sympathy for us in the Capitol, not when there were 11 other districts with the same situation facing them, siblings fighting for each other.

He jumped when the door opened and the Peacekeeper ordered him out. We had to share a quick goodbye that left me feeling empty and the door closed behind him I wondered if anyone else would visit.

The door opened, and I took a moment to compose myself before turning to whoever it was.

"Honey?" I asked skeptically.

She stepped into the room, the door closing behind her with a soft click.

"I guess my ploy at playing hard to get has blown up in my face." She murmured, she too looked like she'd been crying.

I smiled a watery smile, trying for dashing.

"We probably have about three minutes, that's enough for _something_," I gestured to the sofa. Her brilliant smile lit up her face and she took my hand gently in hers and led me to it.

My face was buried in her chest when the Peacekeeper interrupted us, ordering Honey to leave. He spluttered a bit, while I pretended to ignore him and he closed the door again.

"Jols," she whispered, much like Vina had that morning, "I know she's your sister. And try not to think horribly of me for saying this, but I think someone ought to. I want _you_ to come back. Please, for me _try_." My fingers ran along the her silky flesh, and I couldn't form the words condemning my little sister to death, even just in a promise to a girl who I'd wanted since I was 14.

"I- your sentiment is understood Honey, and I will fight hard, for Liola and myself." Moving my hand slowly I pulled her face towards me so I could kiss her again, "I will fight hard for you." I murmured against her lips as we pulled apart.

This time the door opened a tiny bit, and a voice spoke clearly if not irritatedly through the crack.

"Get your clothes on, your time is up."

Honey put her dress back on and I tried to take in every glorious detail of her body. With a quick hand squeeze and a passionate kiss she was gone. And I was alone again.

I adjusted my slacks, and shirt. We hadn't had enough time to really do anything, but it wasn't like I needed to. It had been a nice send off.

Either Liola had decided the passive resistance had already done its job, or she'd changed tactics because we were marched from the building into a car. She slid in after me and nearly crawled into my lap. Liola was holding on so tightly to me I wished I wanted her to loosen her grip. But the security of having her near helped keep me calm. She wasn't crying, at least not what I could tell, but she was subtly shaking.

We got to the train station and were brought out of the car, Liola clutching at my hand, not at all looking like the brave, sarcastic, bossy sister I'd come to see every day. She looked small, and tired, and what bothered me the most, she looked _unsure_. When she stumbled on the first stair heading to the platform outside the train door, I effortlessly picked her up and made my way to stand next to Peeta. I set her down and she stayed clinging to me her green eyes watery but not shedding a tear as she stared at the reporters. I could see how we looked in one of the screens, and I imagined our parents watching us. Liola so distraught, me looking a bit more composed if not hollow. I had to admit it was a striking visual.

They ushered us in and the doors snapped shut behind Haymitch as he was the last one in.

No one moved. Liola was gripping my hand, eyes down cast. Katniss looked close to vomiting, and Peeta was still white as a sheet.

Effie Trinket, whose wig I just now realized, matched Liola's dress, before she had been dragged across the dirt, made a loud sniffing noise.

"I can't look at the two of you right now, you absolutely _ruined_ my day." Effie made an indignant cry in the back of her throat, glowering down at Liola before turning to go to another part of the train. I expected Liola to say something, at very least snort in contest to the bird brained Capitol stooge.

"I'm just going to say it. Because we're _all_ thinking it, you just painted a giant target on your back kid, not just by other tributes, but by the Game Makers themselves. Don't get me wrong it was bril-" Haymitch directed his comment at Liola.

At this my sister let go of my hand and spun around putting a finger over her lips and shushing him. Her green eyes flashed angrily at him before settling on me.

_I need a magnet, help me look for one_, she signed. I stared at her blankly. She signed it again.

_I got it the first time, but why a magnet?_ I asked as I started roaming the car. We were in a sitting room that doubled as a dining room. Our entire house could fit in this one room alone. I sighed angrily as she ignored my question and went looking at the underside of things.

"What just happened?" Katniss asked aloud, earning an angry shushing from Liola on the other side of the room. The train started moving and we all lurched slightly with the force of the speed.

I spared Haymitch a glance as I looked under the feet of each of the chairs, his drunken eyes were wide with… something. I wanted to say surprise but he had a sort of certainty about his stare. He kept looking from Liola to me and then back again.

Finding a magnet on one of the cabinet doors that apparently kept extra table linens. I gestured to Liola, she came rushing over, tiny clear disks in her hands. She set the things she was holding down.

_Break the door off, we need it._

Remembering what Vance had told me I sighed with mild frustration and kicked the door. It was hard, and sturdy. Peeta, Katniss and Haymitch all looked like they were about move to stop me. I stomped in the top and then it came loose from its hinges with the crunching sound of wood splintering.

Liola smiled greedily as I handed the door with the tiny magnet at the top corner to her. She set it on the table and took the clear disk like objects, one by one tapping them on the magnet. She then put the little thing to her ear. She repeated the process for each of the dozen items, with all of us watching her in complete fascination.

"There," she said brightly. "Now we can talk."

"Are those what I think they are?" Haymitch asked, striding over to her now that she didn't seem insane. He carefully picked one up and gave it a long look.

"Listening devices, yes. They are inactive now, I don't know how advanced this technology is so I can't say for sure how long they will be out of commission." Liola slid easily into the chair at the table, looking a bit pleased with herself.

Smug, that was a typical look for her. Good to know that the real Liola was just hiding till we got on the train. I wasn't sure how I would cope with a terrified little sister, not when I was so used to the normal her.

"How-What- _**How**_?" Katniss asked.

I forgot that not many people ever really conversed with my sister. If you didn't keep up she would let you stay out of the loop. I decided to rescue our mentor.

"Let me just get some things out of the way," I paused moving to sit next to Liola. I asked her if I should tell them. She gave each of our mentors an appraising look before nodding and excusing herself to the bathroom.

"I am not sure how many of you listen to town gossip." I started.

Haymitch shrugged. Katniss shook her head and Peeta hung his slightly.

"Your brother is mostly deaf, and Liola is frail and weak." He said aloud, guilt for having heard this somewhere on his face, and by the look of him Peeta might have believed it too.

"Both lies, utter and complete lies." I took the time to remove my jacket and compose myself. Why _I_ had to be the one to tell them, I didn't know. Liola likely would have skipped important bits or breezed so quickly through them they wouldn't be able to remember any of it.

"But if you are to help us, help get one of us home. Get _her_ home. You need to know the extent of what we can do. The sooner the better. At least I think that is what Liola wants."

"So you've decided you want her to win?" Katniss asked carefully.

"No," Liola said brightly coming back into the room, and quickly took her spot next to me. She had something in her hand which she set in her lap. I notice smudges of dirt along the side of her face where moms hand brushed it off in their goodbyes. "Jols will be the winner."

My hands clenched again and I couldn't look at her. I wasn't going to let my little sister sacrifice herself like that. But it was much too soon to worry over that.

_We have a lot to go over Jols, basics for now._ Liola urged.

"Well as you could probably tell we can communicate by using sign language. And the reason we can do so is because of a book Liona found about four years ago."

Peeta's eyes snapped to mine, and I knew he'd made the connection. Four years ago it was said that Vance got really ill one day mid winter, he got better but his illness had caused his hearing to go almost completely away. Lies, of course it was lies.

My explanation of why we lied to all of district 12 and all of Liola's secret learning as a result of her finding that City was met with three near identical looks of shock, on Haymitch it was more a look of pure awe. Peeta made to interrupt but was silenced by a look from Liola who'd somehow managed to take a part the little clear disk. And the tiny components were now starting to be spread along the table top.

Hesitating slightly I took my hair down so I could play with the leather strap over my fingers.

"We have a good chance." I said looking directly at Haymitch.

"You have a fantastic chance kid, _her_," he jabbed a thumb in Liola's direction, as they were sitting on either side of the corner of the table. "Not so much."

"How can you say that?" Katniss asked with a little heat.

A cocky smile grew on my face. Girl on fire was perfect for Peet. Katniss saw my smile and her face went flat. Had she seen me flirting in school? I'd always assumed she'd been too busy to notice boys. Never mind the fact she was married to my ex best friend.

"He's right," Liola murmured plainly. No trace of fear or anger in her voice while she was still fiddling with the technology. "Jols is the handsome big brother. _Talented_ and handsome. I on the other hand am the troublesome little rebel that made Peacekeepers drag her to the stage."

"_Why_ did you let them do that?" Peeta jumped in before I could.

Because we were kids from the families of the Merchants we were practically best friends from birth. Brenden and his little sister lost their mom to a fever one year, and then soon their father succumbed to the coughing disease that struck down a lot of the miners in district 12, they moved in with his Aunt and Uncle that owned the butchers shop. So between the Mellark family, the Vapaus family and the Nurem family there were seven young boys and three little girls that would all play in the dingy park near the Town Square.

We had been such a rambunctious group, and Liola, so tiny and smart didn't get along with the other girls, so she had to hang out with us. We made it hard on her, pushing her around a lot and calling her names. But it never made her leave. One day Peet stuck up for her and Brenden called him a sissy, or something, and made kissy faces. Peeta's older brother Aiden was between Vance and my ages started chanting that Peeta was going to marry Liola caused he _loved_ her.

Aiden tried to grab Li by the arm to make her hug Peet. It was at the first cry of frightened pain from Liola's five year old form that I jumped up and started pummeling Aiden. Vance had to pull me off and Peeta pinned Aiden down to the dirt. I yelled at Aiden that no one hurt _my_ sister, and that no one was going to marry her cause _I_ wouldn't allow it. After that day Liola didn't hang around with us much. Peet brought Liola a cupcake, a bruise on the side of his face the day after it happened and told her that she would marry someone great. He'd always been like her third older brother, and until this moment with them sitting across from one another I realized maybe they missed being friends as much as I missed it.

I leaned back in my chair trying not to think about what Peet was seeing when he saw us sitting here.

"It had to be done." Liola said quickly, and raised her head a little glancing at Peeta across the table. He and Katniss were holding hands on the table top.

"So your plan is for Jols to survive?" Haymitch leaned more towards the table.

Liola set her things down and the leather strap stilled in my hand as she gave him a piercing cool glare.

"Jols will be the victor of this Quell." Her voice had taken on a quality I'd never heard before, a deep rooted determination. Chills went up my arms.

_Li_, I signed, _don't._ _You know all of these things to help us stop president Snow. Who else is going to convince people that passive resistance is the right thing if not you? Who-_

"Jols we can discuss that later." Her voice became tiny again, having watched my pleas for her to want to live.

"That's one thing these games are going to do. Each sibling will want to protect the other," Haymitch shook his head and got out of his chair, heading to a spot I'd started looking for magnets at. He pulled out a bottle of white spirits, opened it and started drinking right from the bottle.

"Now aside from your-brains and insane need to make political statements at the wrong time what can you two do?"

That's where I thought as siblings we were definitely above the others in the district. Liola decided to explain this time.

"I can use a bow staff, throw knifes, set snares, forage, basic first aid, and I have studied climates from a geographical book, so no matter the terrain I will be able to assess the best course of action for survival. Jols is very skilled with hand to hand combat."

"Let me guess you learned all this from… from **books**? _Books_ you found in this rotten ancient city," Haymitch's voice took on a quality of mocking. I didn't like it and was about to jump up and show our mentor that only person aloud to insult my little sister was _me_.

Liola gave him a calm look and took the thing from off her lap, the thing I saw her carrying back with her from the bathroom. It was polished silver, and was about an inch wide and about five inches long. We all stared at it a moment.

"You will learn, Haymitch, that underestimating me, and the _books_ you seem to mock would be a very grievous mistake. I am not pretty like Jols, nor am I people person like my brother Vance. But I am able to see, plan, plot ten moves ahead." She gestured to the metallic object on the table.

"Is that…" Katniss reached for it, Liola let her pick it up. Everyone jumped when a blade popped out as Katniss pushed at the little knob on the side, barely missing a finger as it came out.

The bottle in Haymitch's hand fell to the floor as we all stared at the 3 inch blade Katniss was now holding. Her mouth popped open to form a cute little "O"

"Where did you get this?" Peet asked gesturing for Katniss to hand it to him.

It was at this point that both Haymitch and I reached the same conclusion, I felt dizzy but Haymitch laughed like a mad man, bending backwards and gripping his stomach.

Based on our reactions and Liola's ever smug look Peet began to realize the answer himself, the only one who still seemed mystified was Katniss. Peet couldn't look at Liola so he gave me a queasy look. And delicately set the blade back on the table then wiped his hand on his shirt.

"You know what kid, I was wrong about you. _Definitely_ wrong." Haymitch was still laughing as he picked up what remained in the bottle and plopped down in a chair.

Katniss still looked a little lost, so Liola in a rare gesture explained.

"Mrs. Mellark, where on a woman can objects be _inserted_ in a place unlikely to be examined by anyone." My cheeks burned with the blush when she said it.

I knew Liola wasn't embarrassed, why would she be? For her, if it was necessary it _had_ to be done. Katniss seemed to flounder for a moment when my sister said something no older brother would ever want to hear.

"I lost my virginity to a knife." Liola cleanly explained while picking up the pieces of her listening devices and dumping them in the water pitcher on the opposite end of the table. Katniss's face was beet red instantly, her body rigid with humiliation at the very idea Liola had… well I didn't actually want to think about my sisters body so I shook it out of my head.

"You smuggled in a knife?" Katniss composed herself, a new look of appreciation taking over her embarrassment as the only other woman in the compartment.

"Switchblade, and yes. You see aside from finding books in the City I found many useful objects. But the most useful thing I found was knowledge. The Capitol and Panem have been lying to all of us for many years, probably since before the dark days. Who knows how long really?"

Everyone looked eager to hear more but the door to our left opened and a bunch of people wearing matching grey tunics came in with some food. It smelled divine. The knife had disappeared, and I wondered if Katniss's hunting reflexes had been fast enough to ensure no one saw it.

_Jols, I was thinking. We need to get on opposite sleep schedules_. Li signed to me as the food was set down. It took all I had not to wolf down the entire dish before me. I dished up the food and considered her words. The people serving the food took positions off to on the sides of the room.

_So what will the schedule be?_ I asked after I took a buttered roll Peet offered me. It was hard to ignore the half dozen pairs of eyes watching us signing to each other.

_You sleep during the afternoon, and take night shift. We move in the mornings, depending on terrain and climate it is the best choice. Besides you have better eye sight than I do at night._

"Now, is this a conversation we," Haymitch gestured between the mentors, Liola and I. "Should be a part of?"

I was about to tell him what we'd been talking about when Effie came back in the room. She gave Liola a hard look before sitting on Katniss's other side.

"No," I answered. While we ate neither I nor Liola signed. We were too focused on the food. The meal was the best food that had ever touched my mouth and I couldn't help but close my eyes a few times enjoying the succulent taste. I must have been making small noises of indulgence because when I looked around the table Peeta was watching me with a closed off smile. Liola was taking small bites and eating much slower than the rest of us and by the time I had stuffed myself full she was still working on her first portions.

"Well I am off to bed now," I groaned, letting the mental weariness of the day show itself on my face.

"What about the recap of the other Reapings?" Effie swiftly asked.

"Liola can give me the run down later." I waved my hand casually in her direction. She lifted her chin slightly and gave me a weak smile before taking another small bite of food.

I stood stretching my long body, before I moved from my spot I instinctually leaned down to kiss the top of my sisters head. I heard Effie stifle a swoon from her spot.

"I'll wake you when I go to bed," her timid voice didn't fool me the slightest. She was acting nervous, and her bravado earlier showing off to our mentors was hidden away.

Not knowing where to go I expected Effie to show me my room when I turned away from Liola.

"I'll show you your room Jo." Peeta solemnly told me.

I would have preferred Effie to do it, at least with her I could flirt and try to undo some of the damage Liola had done. But with Peet I was sure this was going to be the type of conversations most men avoided.

He lead me down the corridor and stopped at a door, it hadn't taken long to get from the dining area to the room, and I knew because he _brought_ me instead of telling me there was more he wanted to say. He gestured to the door indicating it was mine and I turned to open it.

"You have lipstick on your neck," he said. My hand froze on the handle.

Turning a cocky smile at him I asked, "Jealous?"

"No." He wasn't rising to the bait.

"Look," He said licking his lips. I was a good six inches taller than him, and the only time he'd been taller was when he had just started school. "Tell me now. The reason you stopped talking to me was because of Liola?"

"Geez Peet," I groaned. "Yes, okay? We all had to pull away from the entire town, from _everyone_. It's not like I had a choice, she _was_ doing something dangerous."

"I would have understood."

"Stop acting like a girl would you, please? It's hard enough that you're my mentor okay?" I shot back, not wanting to get in to it about how I _could_ have been friends with him all these years. It wouldn't change anything and it would only serve to make me bitter.

Rolling my eyes I turned again to open the door, and his large calloused hand grabbed my shoulder.

"I _know_ you Jo. You may act indifferent to Li, you always have. But you're not going to let her die out there. No matter what she says different." He stepped close now, whispering harshly.

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed it really doesn't matter what _I_ want, it _never_ has. She's smarter than all of us Peet, if she wants me to win no matter how hard I try to protect her she'll make sure it's me that goes home. It doesn't matter to _her_ that I'd never-I couldn't." There it was, the emotional side, all those repressed feelings. Love and devotion were weighing on me now in the face of my little sister being killed. I squashed it as quickly as I could. Peet might be one of the only people I would allow to see me like this, but that didn't mean I would.

"See you in the morning." I succinctly said before brushing him off, my arm pushing his shoulder out of my way as I went in to my room. I didn't dare look up as I closed the door in his face.

The room was like a posh dream. I hated it. I hated everything about this place and what it represented. I began by tearing down the paintings and wall decorations, violently. I hated how because of Liola I had lost friends and I hated her for how sure she was. I punched the wall by the door when I'd smashed everything worth smashing.

I hated myself for not realizing sooner how much I had taken Liola for granted. Sure her desire to free this country had kept my family recluse and self imposed outcasts. But I had _never_ thought she'd want to protect me. And that all she'd done, bringing back those books about "The Art of War" and those martial arts books, were her way to keep me safe.

Because although I wanted to live, _god_ I wanted to live just so I could go back and bury my face in Honey's chest again. I didn't want it to be at the expense of my sister's life. How could I go back home after that? How could I look my father or mother in the eye, wondering if they wished she'd made it back instead of me? Vance, I knew he loved us both and would be upset no matter the outcome.

I kicked my clothes off, not bothering to look around the damaged room for more clothes, ran my hands through my hair and pulled myself between the covers.

It didn't take me long to realize I wasn't tired. So I passed the time fantasizing about Vina's body, and about Honey's mouth on mine. Part of me realized I should be worrying about the Games and the fact I would have to murder people to protect my sister, but for now I pretended the girls I'd left back home we comforting me with their bodies.

I must have revisited those fantasies at least three times before I collapsed back on to the bed, sweaty and sexually groggy. I threw the covers off, fully intent on taking a long shower.

Showering wasn't something we did at home. We had a tub we'd wash in, and it was alright to soak in. I found I liked showering; it was like standing in a warm rain fall, only more controlled. Slowly I drifted off to thinking about Honey, her blonde hair pulled into high into a pony tail, her laugh when I tried to flirt.

Eventually I was able to sleep, it wasn't really that easy. Not even with the delicate and soft covers caressing me like a lover.

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AN: So what do you think? Do you like or hate Jols? Or Liola?

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	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games and intend no infringement on the franchise**.**

**For the 3rd Quarter Quell, the 75th Hunger Games, the Tributes shall be reaped from children born in the same family.  
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**A Place Where Darkness Can't Reach**

**Chapter 3**

"The greatest form has no shape"- Lao-tzu

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Someone was knocking on my door, and I rolled over not caring to answer it. It took my sleep addled brain a moment to realize I was on a train, going to the capitol. All those things that happened earlier in the day returned to my mind. Vina's blush, Vance's scolding, Liola wiggling out of the Tunnel, walking with her and mom to the reaping, being Reaped, and Liola being dragged up to the stage.

I threw my legs over the bed and stomped to the door, throwing it wide open.

"What?" I growled, my eyes searching for the owner of the sleep disruptor.

Effie Trinket's eyes went as wide as plates and she stammered something her eyes flickering over my body. I crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly aware I was naked. I would normally be embarrassed; hell I was, having totally forgotten I wasn't wearing a thing. But if I was going to play a cocky heart throb, which is the angle I think Haymitch and Liola were going to go for I might as well start now. With great effort, not more than two seconds after I snapped at her I softened my features and made to lean against the door frame.

"Effie, dear, did you come to comfort me?" I used my best rouge voice, husky and deep. I saw her try to compose herself. Nudity wasn't anything to Capitol ladies; then again a young man with toned muscles and a broad chest wasn't something Effie was likely to come across very often.

"I was asked to come and wake you." Her painted face looked ridiculous, and her accent was starting to cause my stomach to hurt again. I wondered who had sent her; Liola had mentioned waking me personally. I had to force my revulsion back at the act I was committing in flirting with a woman like Effie. I supposed she could be pretty under all the makeup and awful looking clothes.

"I'm awake now," I leaned in closer to her, using my free hand to gently stroke down her arm.

She nervously tittered before squeaking out, "There are clothes in those drawers." I didn't bother looking to where she'd pointed but tried to push my advantage.

"Do I look like I need clothes?"

Effie, at this looked a bit perplexedly at me, her eyes doing another obvious look over of my body.

"Oh you are a _treat_! Everyone will just eat you up; no one will be talking about Finnick Odair after they get a good look at you!" She beamed. Bile rose in my mouth and I couldn't continue flirting with her, I was going to puke all over her if I said anything else. I turned around, giving her a great view of my backside and rummaged for a pair of pants, they were loose soft and comfortable, with a draw string to tighten them. Mother would have called them lounge pants. I followed Effie, not paying attention as she kept gushing about how I was going to be the star of these games.

Liola was sitting looking at the view screen, and I could instantly tell she was barely staying awake.

"How long was I out?" I asked looking out the nearest window, to see it was pitch black out.

"Not long. It's only 10pm now."

I signed the question that was burning my brain. _Why did you send Effie,_ I asked noting Haymitch was reading a piece of paper as Katniss stood behind him, her eyes narrowed and lips moving slightly as she read whatever was on it.

_It gave her something to do besides glare at me._ She signed with a sort of distracted air. I looked at the viewing screen to see Liola was watching some host obviously doing a piece about the Reaping's and the Tributes.

"How bad did they make your little stunt at the Reapings out to be?" I asked sitting down next to her. Her feet were tucked under her body, but when I sat she leaned in to me.

"They left that disrespectful bit out." Effie told me with a pleased tone. "Well, if anyone needs me I will be in my quarters. See you in the morning it's going to be a big big day!" she made a point to walk behind the sofa I was sitting in with Liola and smile at me kindly.

Peeta came from the door on the other end of the room from where Effie had just gone with a stack of what looked like painting canvases.

"Are those from your Talent?" I asked leaning forward to get a better look. Peet grinned tiredly and nodded.

"These are the best ones Liola, will they work?" he asked handing her one.

She was still focused on the screen when she stuck out her hand to take one of them. She turned it over and gave it a long look.

"They are perfect." She then took a pen from off the table in front of her, and started jotting something down quickly. Peeta didn't seem fazed at all she was writing all over the back of his piece of art.

"Developments? Aside from the Capitol apparently ensuring the other districts didn't see you obvious act of defiance?"

"Your sister is a genius," Peet said at once sitting down on the chair nearest Liola. I snorted; it always threw me when people seemed surprised with what my sister could do. That was likely because there were few people that knew she was so smart.

"After you went to bed we watched the Reapings, I made a list you can look over," Liola gestured to Peet and he leaned forward looking for one of the papers I hadn't paid attention to on the table. I leaned further to take it from him. "And after much insulting of Haymitch he gave me all the details about how the Sponsor gifts work, and _what_ is allowed. I have started making a basic plan set as well as a signal guideline for when we are in the arena."

It took me a moment to translate Li speak in to normal people speak. She had found a way to use the Sponsor gifts to send us information about the arena while we were in there.

"I don't think anyone in the history of the games has approached it like this," Haymitch said speaking up.

Liola nodded while I waited for her to elaborate. She seemed focused on her writing now, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth while she worked.

"Li," I said firmly nudging her.

"Sorry, let me finish this." Once done she handed it over to me and I looked it over.

She had two columns, one had a list of very dull day to day objects, like an "Inch long piece of twine" and the column next to it had a meaning, for the twine it meant "keep going the same direction".

"Your sister wanted to know what kind of objects we can send you. At the beginning it is virtually free to send the items she listed," Haymitch tapped his sheet. "The cost of an object as the game progresses weighs heavily on its utility and function."

"I can't tell you how much easier it would have been if Haymitch, Peeta and I had this system last year. A bottle cap sent when you are close to water, sent with a bit of paper would tell you to go south. It's… I can't believe this isn't illegal to do." Katniss admitted looking over to my sister and I.

It was exactly the kind of thinking Liola was good at.

Haymitch explained that outright messages were not possible, such as sending a note with the locations of the other tributes. But they couldn't stop the Mentors from sending a piece of hard candy if they thought we needed it. Based off the plans Liola wrote on the canvas, as soon as we were safe enough and out of immediate danger in the arena we were going to get a deluge of parachutes with the scrap objects that only had value in their secret message.

"I am certain you'll get plenty of sponsors Jols. It almost made me sick when I saw how many sponsors lined up for Finnick Odair after the Opening Ceremony, kid hadn't said a word and they were falling over themselves for him."

Already I was getting mildly bored with being compared to the Victor from district four. I was vain and loved hearing those kind of compliments, but it felt a little sick and twisted that I was going to use my looks for something aside from trying to lure girls to sate my baser needs. Also I didn't want any of the money from the despicable people that thrilled at children's deaths. But if it meant survival I would not let my sister down.

"Have you come to a conclusion on how we are to play our relationship?" I asked Liola after handing her the canvas back.

She sighed heavily.

"A little bit, but I need to think more on it." With a flick of her wrist she flipped the controller for the viewing screen around and handed it to me.

"I'm going to bed now. For us to gain some weight we should both be snacking almost continually."

_Goodnight Li,_ I signed. She gave me a sleepy smile and leaned over, giving me a rare kiss on the cheek before heading off to her room on the train.

We were certainly much more physical with our affection towards one another since the reaping. Li hugged Vance and I regularly, but rarely were kisses shared. It was just not something we did.

Katniss shifted from behind Haymitch.

"I'll see you in the morning Jols…" she tried for a supportive smile.

"I'll be there in a little bit," Peeta explained when it seemed the female Victor was going to wait for him.

Her long braid swung over her shoulders as she left the compartment.

"How's married life?" I asked without any emotion.

Peeta let out a sigh of a heavily burdened man.

"I have the girl of my dreams… and it- I never wanted it like this." He threw his head back and ran a hand through his hair.

I wasn't sure I followed him. I mean of course the whole Vapaus family knew it was a sham marriage. Most of the citizens in the district knew it, but it was in everyone's best interest not to mention it aloud. If I had been in his position… say with Honey last year, and we'd been forced to get married I would be smiling from sun up to sun down. Maybe Peeta didn't have the sexual confidence I had. Or maybe I was just unerringly good at finding what made a particular girl fall into my arms. Of course my score card wasn't nearly as up in the numbers as I would like everyone to believe. Living with my family taught me one important lesson. It was all a matter of perception.

"If you want some tips…" I trailed off smiling like a sleepy fool. Peeta's face twitched and he tilted his head down to look at me again. I could tell he was on the border between scolding me and laughing.

When the look faded from his face and it was replaced with the same sort of afraid lost look from earlier at the reaping. We hadn't spoken outside of school in almost four years, and here we were. I wiggled back in to the couch some breaking our eye contact and let out a sigh.

He was the kind of guy that would still want to know _why_, all these years I let my little sisters act of rebellion prevent us from being friends. Back in the day we could count on each other for anything. I'd help sew up Peeta's school shorts when we'd rough housed too much. His mom would have hit him if he came home with a tear she'd have to sew. Peeta'd sometimes sneak out stale cookies or biscuits we'd take to the park with us. After I had been thinking over my old friendship with Peet a while a very Liola-like thought hit me. If I truly wanted Liola to come home, for _her_ to live, I would need to outwit her. I would **need** help, and the only ally I had was the only ally I really needed. Peeta would help, if it was what I wanted he would help make it _her_ that came home.

.~.

It'd been about an hour since Peet'd said his goodnights and went off to his room. Haymitch had been studying the paper until he'd passed out. He was snoring loudly half falling out of his chair. I draped an arm lazily over the back of the couch and watched the programs.

No one in district 12 ever really had time to watch TV. We had the electricity so scarcely that it wasn't a very reliable source of entertainment. Add to it that it was all programming approved and made for Citizens of the Capitol it made it all the more a reason to avoid.

Liola was the only person I ever met that watched the TV when we had power in the district. She would slink in the room where mom had her almost finished pieces, and sit on the stack of spools of fabric to watch the worn TV.

"Why are you watching that crap?" I asked once. I was angry at her for not being more normal, and I was at the stage where I had accepted her being a little bit freakish bit still felt the need to punish her for it.

She ignored me, which made me angrier. Her petite 12 year old form had been irritating in its cute demureness; her shoulders were set in that smug way she had. So I stomped over took the remote from her and turned the TV off. Calmly she turned to look at me, her eyes soft and patient.

"It's sick. You claim to want to bring down-"I signed the president's name "And you watch this garbage instead of helping dad or mom out?"

We weren't that good at sign language yet, as she had just found the book about a month before. But we'd gotten some basics down.

"You know what Sun Tzu said about knowing your enemy. This _is_ important. What they watch in the Capitol affects what the citizens think. Paying attention to that can help."

"_**How**_?" I asked scathingly.

Her lips pushed together in frustration. Best and fastest way to rile Liola up was to act stupid, or call her stupid. Or in most cases with me baiting her it was _insinuating_ she was an imbecile.

"This is their _culture_. If I can find out what makes them sad or unhappy or what pulls on their emotional strings I could find-"

"They don't **have** _feelings_ Liola. They thrill at watching children murder each other," I hissed at her, griping the remote so tightly the whites of my knuckles were showing.

I will never forget how in the bleary afternoon light that filtered through the back window curtains how her face partially illuminated in the light fell. Her look had lost its heat in its place was a look that made my stomach ache. The pitying look she gave me made me throw the remote at her. She tried to catch it bit it hit the tip of her fingers and tumbled under the desk hidden with cloth spools.

"They _are_ people, Jo." Liola insisted exasperatedly.

Mom came in the room then, hearing the raised words. I snorted bitterly at her, disappointed in her response.

It ate at me now, as I watched the shallow looking people on the program, detailing the types of activities and celebrations they did during the week leading up to the Games, and then the gatherings during the games. They were people, logically I knew that. It didn't stop me from hating each and every one of them. I was going to die in less than a month and it was because no one in that city saw how horrible this all was. I wished I could take back that moment from my past. Siblings fought, and we'd moved on, but still I wish I hadn't done it.

When I my frustration out grew my capacity to watch the Capitol programming I went to the table intent on finding food Liola said I should be always eating. There were some cookies, and biscuits, but nothing of substance.

There was a woman, she was short and had a sort of look to her that said she had once been very well fed and then lost a lot of weight quickly. She was wearing a grey tunic and I knew she was here to help, so I asked her if more food could be brought, something with meat.

Without looking me in the eye she nodded once then left the room. I stared after her perplexedly.

"She's an Avox." Haymitch said gruntingly from off to my right.

The dining car where we'd spent the most time in wasn't that large, and from his spot on the couch he could easily see my reactions. I only flinched slightly in surprise not realizing he was awake.

"Avox's are people that have betrayed the Capitol in some way." His voice had become quiet so I had to strain my ears to make out what he'd said. Fumbling he pushed himself up, clearly on the drunker side of sober. He managed to make it to the dining table I was still standing by and plop down in one of the chairs. I sat next to him, but my chair was far enough away that I didn't have to smell the reek of alcohol coming out of every pore.

"They have their tongues cut out. Dissent _silenced_," he chortled sarcastically.

His comment made me smile, and Haymitch rose a rather interested brow.

"Something about mutilation is funny to you?"

"Not really but…" I forced my smile away, "They would have to _kill_ Liola to silence her."

That was the truth. Understanding what could happen to my family if anyone bothered to find out about Li, or our support of her had come along gradually. First it was the loss of companionship through friends like Peet, and Brenden. Eventually Vance and I had talks about what really could happen. Those we cared about could be tortured to find out if they knew anything we knew. It was why we pulled away from the town, as much as business people could anyway.

Liola loved us, as mom explained it once. But her love was beyond simply caring about us. She wanted us to be free, and if it cost her life she was willing to do it. What I never understood was Liola was willing to risk my life, Vance's, moms and dads. She'd tried to explain it once back when she was less articulate about her goals, and I never asked again.

"That sister of yours sure is… something. Has she really been sneaking off into the wilderness since she was 8?" Slurring Haymitch enquired.

I nodded. Picking up a fork I started twirling it in my hands. The light caught on an angle of the fine silver and sent a reflection off to the wall.

"She's always been ahead of everyone else." Admitting it made me feel like my plan for getting her home was likely to fail, which was depressing as we were still on the train heading to the city.

The food came during a silent moment. And then the Axov stood by the door again looking at the floor. I signed a thank you to her, wondering if she'd understand it. She looked the right age to be someone's mother and I wondered what they did to her family if she had one.

"One thing I can say for certain about Liola," I muttered as I cut a piece of lamb off the giant leg they'd brought. Haymitch contented himself to spear a carrot and munch on it loudly. "The Capitol won't know what to make of her."

To that he nodded drunkenly and reached for a glass, I guessed he had wanted to lift it up in a toast like gesture, but his fingers missed it, causing it to tumble out of his reach and roll around the table top. Thankfully it had been empty.

.~.

I went to Liola's room around 4am when I knew I wouldn't be able to stay up any longer, her door was open, and I briefly wondered if they were typically locked when the Tributes weren't related.

On the huge bed in the center of the room, that was a mirror of mine, was Li. She looked like a small child, curled up in a little ball on the furthest edge from the door. Watching her for a second I wondered if she had everything already plotted out in that impossibly haughty brain of hers.

"Li," I nudged her gently. It took a few more gentle shoves for her eyes to snap open.

"I can't stay up any longer," I told her, I paused long enough for her to respond, but her eyes were wide now so I knew she understood.

Moving quietly I started for the door.

"Jols," I heard her whisper. Turning my head slightly I glanced back at her.

She didn't say anything so I turned fully to face her; she was sitting up now, her knees tucked close to her body.

"We can't use our sign language in front of Effie anymore. She wasn't paying that close attention to us when you came back from your nap. But we don't want to reveal those cards until we are in the Arena."

Expecting something like that I nodded before leaving the near dark room for my own across the hall.

.~.

I slept till lunch time. No one came to wake me which suggested that I was supposed to get as much sleep as I could. The destroyed capitol decorations for my room were scattered in a pattern that caused me to do some funny stepping in order to reach the drawers with the fancy Capitol clothing. Pulling out a pair of grey slacks I slipped in to them, out of habit I started categorizing the feel and tautness of the fabric. This was something mom or dad could have re-used to make a fancy suit jacket for Vance, he needed a new one. Upon further searching I found the very jacket that would have been remade better by my parent's hands and slipped into it.

Out in the dining car again my eyes swept the room, searching out for the familiar golden brown head of my sister. She was once again sitting in front of the TV a sandwich sloppily falling apart in one hand while she was writing something down on the back of one of Peeta's canvases.

Effie was sipping contentedly on some tea looking merrily out the window, while Katniss and Peeta seemed to be in the midst of a silent battle. The harsh silver eyes of our female mentor softened marginally when she saw me.

"Good morning Jols! My you look dashing today!" Instantly my body tensed but the instincts took over and the sweet smile was on my face. I yawned widely stretching my arms over my head, giving our escort a good long look at my torso. I hadn't bothered to wear an undershirt for reasons like this.

In fact when I wasn't forced to wear shirts by social convention or weather, I was almost always without a top. When Vance and I started shoveling coal that fell from the carts coming out of the mines into the canisters meant to transport to the trains, I saw the immediate reaction women had to my building muscles. It had started as a part time job after school to help earn a little more money. After a few years I just found it more comfortable. I would often be working hard in the back yard to mix the giant tubs mom used to wash the Peacekeepers uniforms, and customers of the female type would often stand at the back window of the shop to watch me. Most often it was the older ladies, I would never tell Peet but I knew his mom had done it once or twice.

"Good morning Effie. I see you are in a better mood this morning… perhaps you had some enthralling dreams featuring a handsome young man with blonde hair?" I winked, while sauntering over to the dining table laden with breakfast foods.

"I am just so excited for all of Panem to see what wonderful Tributes District 12 has this year," sighing with an appreciative air Effie's gaze never left me.

"Good morning," Katniss said as if it was anything but. Peet repeated the greeting and I tipped glass my now full of some juice in salute to them.

It was orange juice. This would be the third time I'd ever tasted an orange, juiced or otherwise. The second time had been mixed excessively with white spirits last year after Vance successfully went through his last reaping and our old friend went off to his almost certain death. It was one of the many things of questionable legality my family did. My father home cooked spirits in our basement and sold it at the Hob on occasion. His most frequent customer of late had been Haymitch due to his usual liquor stores being destroyed. It had always been too easy for Vance and I to nip a bit here and there. There were at least two girls in town that liked me more for the free booze than my good looks.

Settling in I ate a plateful of thick soft sweet breads that Effie told me were sweetcakes, we had nothing really to compare them to at home, I doused them in rich jams and plenty of thick clotted butter.

As focused on my food as I had been I didn't see when Li had gotten up and plopped down in a chair next to Katniss, across from me until she refilled my goblet with more orange juice from the pitcher.

Looking over Li she appeared to be tense, and worried. It instantly worried me, much like her act from when we'd left the Justice Building yesterday. It had only been a day since then? It seemed like longer than that. Vina's warm body pressed against mine in that hidden spot seemed like ages ago. I shifted awkwardly when my memory of those events was activating parts of me best left for private moments.

"Are you okay?" I asked setting the knife I had been using down on the plate.

Li leaned back in her chair and nodded, but it didn't convince me. I needed to know what was going on, both with our plans and with her.

In theory I knew she was strong willed and highly intelligent. But in the face of murdering for survival it would make even the bravest prepared person queasy. I still felt that same dread and uneasiness from yesterday, but I'd been doing pretty good putting my energy into flirting with Effie and focusing on how to keep my sister alive.

"Haymitch is passed out; I tried to coax him out about an hour ago to talk more strategy. I though perhaps with the _potential,"_ Li hissed the last word, "we have he would want to remain aware and sober for things. But his addiction is much stronger than his will I suppose."

Nodding I took a long drink from my goblet and decided to take a break, I needed to pace myself.

"You seem to be on better terms with Effie." I commented. The statement was left with the tone of a question.

Peet gave me a half smile from Katniss's other side.

"We've agreed to stay out of each other's way, so to speak, so ensure that we can get you home." Li said simply.

My face twisted darkly hearing her say it like that. Like it was decided.

"What if I want _you_ to go home?" I asked with a suppressed shout, my voice was dark and threatening. Katniss looked between the two of us.

"Jols, there is so much more you two need to worry about before you get to the point of even worrying about that…" she trailed off not wanting to add the part where one of us _wouldn't_ go home.

"Jo she's right. You have to worry about surviving whatever they have in there, in addition to the other tributes." Peet consolingly added.

My fists clenched on the table top and Li avoided my gaze.

"You and I need to talk." I ordered her before pushing away from the table abruptly. I fluidly walked like a river over rapids back towards her room. When I turned and saw her thin form, in a simple green dress I hadn't paid attention to, I opened the door to her room and pointed in. A gesture that felt so familiar and alien. It was something our dad would do when we had been too rowdy or rude.

She went in and asked the Avox cleaning the room to kindly leave.

_Is it safe to talk in here?_ I signed to her once the stretched thin Avox with raven black hair left.

_No. I couldn't reach the two they have on the light fixture in here._

Then she gestured to the ceiling light that were a few inches too tall for me to reach in the center of the room on the ceiling. I saw what she was referring to though, they were the same clear disks stuck unassumingly to the light on either side, it looked like a simple decoration on the light rather than the high tech listening devices that they were. The dining car didn't have any ceiling lights like this so I knew she'd gotten all of them out there.

We stood there, my back to the closed door, Li facing me her back to her bed. She avoided looking directly at me, and I decided to wait her out so I took the leather strap I'd tied to my wrist for safe keeping last night and twirled it over my hand.

"Katniss," she said slowly, making the letter K with both hands and crossing them over her chest with the sign of "protect". Li just gave Katniss her sign name and I found it fitting, the sign she chose to represent Peet's bride. I snorted and suggested my own.

"That isn't funny," she sighed bitterly at me.

"Bit of hero worship for her then?" I asked aloud, a little amused.

_She was a spark_. Li's hands went still a second and her frown said it all. Katniss and Peeta may have won, and my sign for Katniss's sign name may have been accurate. But those two had good reason to be anxious.

_We need to be on the same page here Li. You need to tell me what's going on in that head of yours-_

_Jo I-_

"No," I insisted aloud at her attempt to interrupt me. The odd thing about signing with your hands was it aloud you to fight with someone at the same time. Meaning she could be signing her side of the argument while I signed mine. Things got confusing that way.

_We aren't going to fight over who is going to go home. Katniss was right about that. Who knows what they will have for us in the arena._

_Very true_. She agreed quickly.

_What have you planned so far_? I asked with real interest.

She signed quickly, pausing only to be sure the ideas were separated. I was to be the outgoing big brother, which protected the disastrously shy Liola. She said it would be easiest if only one of us had to act, and my natural state was best to market for sponsors. We weren't to show off our true strengths at training, or at the private session. And instead take time to practice our weaker fighting skills on the materials and trainers there. Li was going to attempt to grapple with the trainers where I was to practice with weapons. It was opposite of our strengths and I could see the point. But I had to stride the three steps closer to her and grip her hard by the shoulders when she told me of a task she wanted me to do.

"I won't, Li, that's sick." My tone was hard and even. She wasn't bothered by my intensity and shrugged my hands off her petite shoulders.

_Flirting with the other girls will be beneficial. Girls, teenage girls, can be manipulated by a handsome face, you know that._

I started to feel the beginnings of a classic fight between us brewing.

_Flirting with the other Tributes Li… we have to kill them. It's sick, I won't do it._

At my denial she crossed her arms over her chest and tried to stare me down. Li had the firm look of not backing down on the issue.

_What if I have to kill one of the girls I'd tricked into liking me?_

_That doesn't matter in there. If they let their emotions blind them to the fact there can be only one winner long enough for you or I to kill them then…_

I put a hand up to stop her from continuing. Just as I was about to sign more to her the train was plunged into darkness, and Li gasped before running to the window.

"We're here…" she whispered bitterly.

Moving to stand next to her I looked out into the darkness that must be the long tunnel dug into the mountains that surrounded the Capitol.

.~.

She pushed me out to the dining car so that as we pulled up to the station I could wave like a happy fool to the crowds of people. Li stayed out of view and went to change her clothes.

"Jols dear we'll be stopping soon, would you like to go change?" Effie asked in a sweet way. The inclination to gag outright was forced out of my mind when I nodded.

"No," Haymitch stumbled into the room, his hair was sticking up oddly and he his pants were half undone while the shirt he was wearing looked in desperate need of ironing. "He looks good like that." I snorted at his appraisal. Li probably had already won Haymitch over with her impossibly genius strategies to fight the games, I wondered briefly if Haymitch himself had once been as smart as Li.

I tied my hair back with the leather strap, stretched my neck and continued to wave as the train passed more colorful ridiculous looking people. There was a sense of awareness in me as the train started slowing and I saw the tall Remake Center looming in front of us. I'd used my looks to get me a lot in my young life, mostly for my own gain. Certainly flirting and charming the rich Capitol people would be for personal gain, but there was so much riding on my ability to these people to like me. What if I didn't do it well enough? My contribution to our team in the Arena was getting us the sponsors. Li had already contributed so much, the sign language, the knowledge of all the previous games she'd watched. How long could we survive on her intelligence if I failed to get us sponsors?

Her survival, her life was on the line. Light blue caught my eye and I saw her smile at me as she came to stand next to me. She was wearing a very delicate and young looking dress. Liola looked no older than 12 in that dress. Her hair was not pulled back as per her usual look in district 12, but loose and falling freely down past her shoulders.

"You look lovely Liola," Effie attempted to compliment her, but the way Effie said it showed her distaste of the style choice Li had made.

Smiling sweetly if not worriedly Li reached out and gave my hand a quick squeeze before going off to help Katniss and Peeta straighten out our oldest Mentor.

Effie did a perfunctory dusting of my shoulders and stood next to the door, the train crept easily under the remake center, and again we were plunged into a semi darkness.

"Welcome to the Capitol!" Our escort said merrily, as if it we had wanted to come here.

..~..

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AN: I hope you enjoy this fic and review to let me know so. I have another fan fic for Twilight I am working on, so unless I get overwhelming support for Jols and Liola's story, updates will not be regular. Thank you, and may the reviews be ever in _my_ favor.

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	4. Chapter 4

AN: Two things really quickly. I would like to formally ask if there is anyone interested in being my Beta for this fic. Please PM me if interested. Secondly there is a little bit of a divergence from Catching Fire (aside from the obvious already) which I just wanted to warn you about. Yes I know what I added isn't what happened in Catching Fire, it was done on purpose.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games and intend no infringement on the franchise**.**

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**A Place Where Darkness Can't Reach  
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**Chapter 4  
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**For the 3rd Quarter Quell, the 75th Hunger Games, the Tributes shall be reaped from children born in the same family.**

_Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. - Buddah_

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Haymitch hastily told me to do whatever my stylists wanted without complaint as I was brought into the remake center. I didn't even have a chance to give Li a "see you later" before we were separated.

I had two people for my prep team. A woman of average size, with hair so black it was almost blue, done in what I think they called a Mohawk that was almost a foot tall. She had red makeup on and flame tattoo's up her arms. She introduced herself with a smirk as Anther, and ordered me out of my clothes.

The man was as tall as Liola, but had a little more weight on than someone his height ought to. He was obviously overweight, and because of his height he had to stand on a step stool as they both took measurements of my whole body. His voice was much deeper and gravely than I would have guessed, he introduced himself as Tamus Gorbinbald III. His accent wasn't nearly as painful on my ears as Effie's.

My whole body was buffed, scraped and polished until I felt raw. When they lathered on some sweet smelling cream I instantly felt better. I had been trying to just zone out and pretend that I was being pampered rather than tortured like I felt, when I over heard Tamus say my sister's name in a hushed whisper as they mixed some cream for a dye of some sort.

"-and Jeymi tried to bribe to get him."

"We are just _that_ lucky aren't we? Who would have guessed two years ago that there would even be the slightest interest in working with the outer districts, let alone bribing to get into their prep teams?" Anther said with some light scandal in her voice. It was easy to lay there and let them think I couldn't hear them, it seemed like they didn't care even if I could.

"It won't last; I mean _how_ many pretty kids from _those_ districts do you think they have? Katniss and Peeta are the only thing those districts have helping them right now." Tamus added.

"Too bad the girl is rather lacking."

Anther clicked her tongue, I opened my eye a bit to see her nodding enthusiastically, "I heard a rumor that _some_ sponsors don't want to risk investing on him, because they don't want her to win." My fists clenched at my sides hearing this gossip. This wasn't good, if true, for Li's plans.

"At very least the outfits Mort and Hail designed will live up to Cinna and Portia's work last year."

I must have moved in a way that made them aware I was a living breathing boy they'd been gossiping about because Anther asked me to sit up and announced it was time to work on my head.

Tamus and Anther left my hair long, but still trimmed it some. I wouldn't be able to tie it back any longer, which I was rather upset about. They dyed the ends a red, which faded into orange then to my natural blonde, the effect was that my head looked very much like a crown of fire, I didn't notice until they left me alone in the prep room to await my Stylist that they had dyed my hair a much more vibrant blond color.

The gossip I'd overheard, I wondered how much of it could be reliable. Of course I would tell Li when I could, but there wasn't anything I could do till we got to the Training Center after the Ceremony.

I was facing away from the door looking over every inch of my body when the door opened and a man came in. Normally I would cover my junk, as the only man I'd been naked in front of had been my father, and that had been _ages_ ago. My hand swung instinctually to cover myself, but thinking better of it I leaned forward to offer him my hand.

He had gold eyebrows that matched his golden hair, and a soft tan. There were three small black jewels embedded into the area next to the outer corner of each of his eyes. It made him look like he had extra eyes, and was a little bit creepy. But other than his odd hair and jeweled eyes, everything else about him seemed normal. He was my height, a little chubby, but had dark brown eyes that seemed to assess my every move. He laxly shook my hand and circled me once.

"I didn't want district 12." He said bluntly. I pressed my lips together to stop myself from telling him exactly what _I_ hadn't wanted. "However, last years' Stylists for your district have either been promoted, or are still with your mentors. So when my dear friend Cinna asked me to be a stylist this year, I thought perhaps his good word would give me at very least district 7." Then the man sighed labouredly and took a seat on the bench, lightly fanning his fingers through his hair as he composed himself.

What the hell was I supposed to do with this? I couldn't _flirt_ with him, for obvious reasons, and I dare not blow my top at him for being a jerk. So I stood there trying to get the blankest of looks on my face.

"So imagine my surprise when _you_ were picked." The sudden change in cheerfulness in his voice took me by surprise.

"Sir?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm Mordecai, most people just call me Mort. And Jols Vapaus-"

"Vah-Pas," I corrected his pronunciation gently.

"Vapaus," he said it again the correct way, "My original designs will be magnificent on you, the Stylist for your sister and I have collaborated on them and think they will be perfect. Of course Cinna had given me a few ideas," Mort winked here, "When I was assigned 12."

.~.

When Mort finally got around to dressing me I wondered if Liola would be forced to show as much flesh as I was. I was wearing tight black pants that had delicate red stitching and I was left topless. I had examined the pants to see the gage of the thread they used. Mort saw me paying such close attention to the garments and asked about it.

"Our parents own a Clothing shop, we mend, clean, make and sell anything that has to do with clothes."

"You'll appreciate these then," he smiled and turned the pants over and I saw the stitching clearer. It was some sort of light catching thick set thread I'd never seen before. In the light of the room it looked like it was hot lava coming down the side of a dark volcano. At first it looked a little bit freakish, but once I had them on the effect was impressive. The black contoured my backside well, and the red and orange stitching went all the way to the top seam.

Anther and Tamus then came next and did a carefully detailed smudging of black soot on my torso. Mort stood by and watched. Originally I thought it was just the normal coal dust that coated all of district 12, but it felt coarser than that and I found yet another surprising detail about this "costume", it wasn't coal dust at all. It was some hybrid. There were tiny crystals or jewels within the black powder that when they caught the light they flickered like a flame in the night.

Before I was lead out to where the chariots were I got a nice long look at myself. They underplayed my muscles, but not my general shape. Tamus added cuffs of some dark metal to my wrists that looked rather menacing.

When we walked out to the chariot I had to wait nearly an hour for Liola to show up with her prep team. During the time where I was standing around, I did not let my sister down with the flirting I was casually doing to the other Tributes who were finished and waiting for the Opening Ceremonies to begin. It left a horrible taste in my mouth when a girl from district five, having just finished being dressed in some ridiculous shiny and flashy dress blushed when I smirked widely at her. She was going to die in that arena if Li was to live and flirting with her might help our case but I didn't like it. Her brother saw our interaction instantly and glared while blocking her from my view. I shrugged it off and went to pet the horses.

I felt eyes on me after a while where one of the horse care takers had given me some oats to feed the beasts. I'd never seen a horse up close like this. It'd only ever seen pictures, or glimpses of the few the Peacekeepers kept near the Justice Building. I laughed aloud, surprising the Tributes from 8 when the black animal ate from my palm and it tickled.

"Jo," I turned to look at the caller of my attention.

Li stood there, in an outfit I could only take in a bit at a time. Where my outfit seemed to underlie a sort of dark hot ember-like a coal that was still hot but not burning, Li looked like she was almost a whirlwind of soft flames in the dark of night. Her dress had the shape of slowly twisting around her middle, it was shoulder-less dress with sleeves that started under her armpits, and long flowing wide cut sleeves engulfed her hands, the amount of fabric alone on her arms would be able to make me new pants. The dress wasn't quite form fitting, but you could tell she had a small frame beneath it. The colors started at the hem of her dress, they were a bright white with a hint of yellow that melted into bright oranges and reds, finally at the chest the red was so dark it smoothly faded into black. Her sleeves followed a similar pattern upwards. Her hair was pulled up out of her face but left hanging in soft curls down her back.

The last piece of her costume made me see her as the young woman I never wanted to admit she was. She had on a choker made from the solid harsh looking metal that matched my cuffs, it made her neck look slender and elegant with a dark shiny black pendant that hung low on her neck, so low it let your eyes make the small gap between flesh and her cleavage. I grimaced not ever wishing to see my little sister's cleavage let alone having all of Panem see it as well. At least it was _tastefully_ done.

"You look like Mars," she said breathlessly, taking me in.

The genuine smile pulled me from studying her. I took the few steps between us and picked her up by her waist and spun her around, like dad had done when she was little.

"I look like a planet?" I asked joking while I set her down. The suddenly look of pain briefly flickered across her face when her feet touched the ground.

"What is it?" I asked studying her closer.

"I tripped earlier, no big deal. And Mars as in the Roman god of War."

Her eyes were not convincing me, but then again Liola was fairly adept with lying, and apparently acting. Two things I was finding myself uncomfortable with.

"Oh you two look simply lovely," a woman with tall aqua marine colored hair and bright green eye make-up said approaching us.

"I feel like a fire goddess. Thank you so much Haile," dreamily Liola swayed slightly to show the movement of her dress.

"A fire has been lit under your District I think," her stylist said with a wink to me over Li's head.

_Wow that was blatant_, I thought. Haile put a skinny aqua stripped arm over my sister's shoulder and Li whispered something to her, which then brought my sister and her stylist into peels of delicate laughter, the likes I had never heard from her before.

"Close your mouth you look like a fish," Mort ordered me icily.

Our stylists greeted each other like colleagues, before ushering us on to the chariot. Haile started positioning us, but kept frowning and redoing it once we were settled.

"Nothing I do looks natural," she complained, and then Mort came over to try.

There was a Trumpet blaring, it was a special theme for the Quarter Quell, and everyone was lining up.

"Why don't you two just do what's come naturally." Mort suggested.

"We don't really-" I began trying to explain that Li and I had never really been too physical with our affections, unless you counted when she was trying to learn to flip me over her shoulders for our hand to hand combat exercises.

"How's this," Li said smoothly sliding partially under my left arm so half of my front was covered with her.

The Stylists approved just as the chariots were moving away.

"So you're telling jokes now?" My amused tone made Li frown petulantly.

"I _can_ be funny," she insisted.

She held her firm almost upset posture and face until it became apparent to her that I wasn't even slightly falling for it.

"I've _never_ even heard you tell a joke before." I explained my reasoning.

"I do know one about a Dock worker, a duck and something called a Mormon," she shot back defensively.

"Lame, if you have to explain part of the joke beforehand it isn't a joke, it's a lecture." I rolled my eyes exasperatedly.

We were still in line waiting for our turn, District 12 was always last at everything, and this year because it was a Quell year the Chariots were spaced further apart so each district had a long moment to capture the eyes of the Capitol. I couldn't help the smile that came to my face as she started telling me a joke about women shopping for husbands. We might be on our way to fighting for our lives, but that didn't change the real way she and I interacted with each other. All the acting and flirting aside, she was still annoyingly self assured, arrogant and my little sister.

She got to the punch line as we rolled out of the doors. I didn't laugh as loudly as I could have, but it didn't matter I gave her a squeeze, my eyes still shining from the entertainment in the joke. The cameras caught us as she was looking up at my fondly, a playful smile on her face, while my broad smile seemed to capture the entire crowd.

Already my stomach felt like it was rolling in on itself as the Chariot pulled us further along the parade route. I laid my charm on as thickly as I could while still looking sincere, waving with my free arm and blowing kisses, winking at a few points.

"I wonder what they would do to us if we made a break for it…" Li mused loudly to me over the cheering crowds. My instinct was to shush her, because that kind of talk wasn't safe, but no one besides me would be able to hear her in this racket, so I went with my secondary reaction looking around the crowd.

"What jump off and run in to the crowd?"

She rose a hand and waved demurely to the crowd, "You'll have a hard time getting through the crowds looking the way you do."

"I bet I could at least convince someone to harbor us for a while." I joked back.

She smiled widely at me and I moved the arm that was supporting her to grab her by the shoulder. Her smile faded as she turned back to the crowd, then she suddenly become less active. I couldn't see her face but her posture suddenly suggested she was contemplative.

Under my hand her body started shaking, and then I understood. I turned her forcefully towards me and tilted her head back just in time to see a few small tears escape out the corners of her eyes.

"Li…" I muttered, alarm replacing that moment of joking.

I pulled her in for a hug, as her body was still shaking.

Our chariot slowed and I pulled back from her, not caring what our last bit of the parade looked like to anyone. Li rarely cried, once or twice when she'd been injured while practicing, or when she'd come back from her trek into the wilderness and had some wound that mom had to tend to. Her crying in public was either an act, which I didn't believe, or real which made me worry.

The entire time President Snow gave his speech about the Hunger Games, I held Li's chin in my hands and maintained eye contact with her. Willing the brave genius, that was going to make all of Panem see how brilliant she was, to come back.

.~.

When we arrived at the Training Center, and I reached our floor I could feel all of my anxiety from the day slide off of me. The sweet succulent smells of food being set up on the large dining room table was enough for me to rush to the room Effie pointed out was mine, and hurry through a shower which the buttons I pushed made me smell like a berry, the dye from my hair washing cleanly out of my hair and down the drain. Apparently the hair that looked on fire was only for the Opening Ceremony.

The glamorousness and richness of everything in the suite bothered me; even one of the vases here could pay for enough food for an entire family for a year. Even the towel had to have been made from fibers I'd never before felt.

Back in the dining room, our stylists were just sitting down as I pulled the simple silky black shirt over my head. Our mentors, minus Haymitch were starting to dish up their plates while Effie poured some sparkling beverage for Mort.

"Liola will be out soon, she didn't want us to wait for her," Haile told me as I took one of the remaining empty spots, which happened to be next to Peet.

"Where's Haymitch?" I asked.

"He's passed out from his exhausting day of showing Katniss and I how to sign up your hoards of sponsors Jo." He explained with a slide glance to me.

"Why isn't he signing them up himself?" I asked. Mort passed me a platter with some sort of creamed potato dish that had a hint of garlic to it.

Effie cleared her throat delicately, "There can be only two mentors aloud in the control room, so the two in the control room are the only two that can sign any sponsors up. I've been talking you and Liola up to the people that had been big fans of Finnick during his games," Clearly proud of herself Effie tilted her flute of alcohol in my direction as a toast.

"I didn't know that…" I managed to mutter as I inclined my head in thanks to Effie, for all her faults both personal and political she did seem to want to do a good job.

"The recaps will be on in an hour and _wait_ until you see some of the atrocious costumes forced upon some of the other Tributes," It was clear Effie was entertained at the way the others had been dressed.

"But you two were by far the most expressive. It was like a mini play or opera going on, on the Chariot." Mort enthused.

"Oh yes, last year it was the amazing flames from 12, this year it was the emotional display that really caught so much attention." Haile added.

I looked up at our stylists and thought out what our display must have looked like to the crowd. Liola and I joking, smiling waving, then her suddenly become sad and despondent… they were right it did seem like a play. There was a niggling feeling in the back of my head that told me Li had planned it that way. The girl was a walking plotting machine.

If true… I wasn't sure how I felt. She had manipulated me into acting how I did, if she indeed had been pretending to cry. One hand I felt used by her for it, on the other hand I had promised to do anything I could to bring her home. If she thought the performance wouldn't have been as genuine if I knew. I hated second guessing her; I had gotten used to not doing it. Then again we'd never faced the situation where we would be fighting to the death.

Liola came down to the table her expression calm and assuring.

"Now that you are both here," elatedly Effie began once Li had taken a spot at the head of the table furthest away from me. Briefly Li's eyes met mine, conveying to me we would need to talk before she went to bed. I was likely going to have to try and stay awake as long as I could.

"There have been a couple things added to the programming schedule for the Tributes this year, as it is a Quell year." Katniss then asked Effie what the difference was and Effie became more excited and also more professional sounding.

"None of you are old enough to have seen the last Quell, but each Quell has an additional two events that the Tributes must take part in. One, I think will be the biggest draw for you two," Effie nodded to Liola and me, "Is the Primus Conventum. The day after the scores are announced you will have the afternoon to be groomed and prepped for the party in the Central Ballroom in Victory Hall."

Effie explained about what was essentially a very exclusive private party where Capitol citizens who were going to sponsor this year came to look over the Tributes in person. The ticket cost would then go towards whatever Tribute they picked.

"Here's the best part of the party… the biggest draw _you_ have going for you are your mentors." Effie finished so enthusiastically with a nod of her head her peach wig wiggled mightily.

"What?" Katniss asked, afraid.

"We are going to be there with them?" Peet asked sitting back in his seat.

"It's part of the Primus, the sponsors get to see how the Tributes interact with their Mentors. The tickets are so sought after I was _very_ nearly tempted to sell mine, of course it's against the rules for me to, but they are that hot of a commodity. And to think all of the money they spend on the tickets goes to the Tribute they pick that night."

We let the words sink in.

Liola took a long sip from her glass then spoke up rather sedately, "It is guaranteed money for Tributes, and we just have to make sure that most of them choose us. Am I correct in assuming Katniss and Peeta are there to ensure they sign up to sponsor us at the event itself?"

Once Effie affirmed that, Katniss shrunk in her seat. She was going to be in the spotlight, and not only was it pressure on her to keep up the obviously titled truth of love for Peeta she had to perform well so that Liola and I got plenty of sponsors.

I did not envy her at the moment, but that feeling didn't last long, Katniss was not going to be fighting for her life in the arena with her little sister.

"What is the second event?" It was Peeta that asked, and until he did I had forgotten Effie said _two_ events.

"It is much sillier; it is an official photo shoot, professionally done the morning before the Primus."

It really spoke volumes if even Effie thought it was silly.

"Oh it's not all that silly. It's actually very interesting. They use the photo's to promote the games around the city, and when it gets toward the end they pass out banners and holocards of the Tribute people are supporting. It's to drum up business in the city, and even create a niche for collectors." Mort was rather enthusiastic about it.

"Stimulating the economy with murder," Liola muttered breathily. She had done it loud enough for everyone to hear it, and Mort's fork dropped out of his hand clanked on his plate loudly before falling to the floor.

She tried to hide the blush on her cheeks and compose herself. Biting her lower lip she looked up at me and gave me an apologetic look.

"Well, it would be a shame to not remember them." Haile said slowly, looking around the group.

"Did they do this for the 1st or 2nd Quell?" Katniss asked, just as the elevator opened up and Haymitch waltzed out, a Peace Keeper holding him by his elbow.

"Thanks for the ride Gerber!" Haymitch said somberly patting the Peacekeeper on the shoulder.

"It's Griver." The very unhappy man replied.

"Haymitch! I thought you were in your room!" The shock in Effie's voice brought the two new peoples' attention back to the dinner going on.

"Dinner! Excellent!" Haymitch broke away from the Peacekeeper without so much a backwards glance and strode straight for the empty chair at the end of the table next to me, opposite Liola.

Griver, took a long look at the table, a small smirk formed on his face when he was looking at the end of the table where Liola, and Katniss were sitting. Instantly I didn't like it, it had a very keen predatory look to it. But before anyone could say anything the man went back to the elevator and left our floor.

"Quite a spread!" The older Victor said with a gracious air.

"Haymitch indeed had to do the two additional events. Although the last quell had so many Tributes the interviews took two days to do, and there was an added two days of training." Mort decided to answer Katniss's question.

"Wanted to make sure we all had a _fair_ chance to learn a new skill that would give us enough hope not to give up the second day in that damn Arena." Haymitch blared just before spooning a large portion of some custard on to his plate.

An Avox had replaced Mort's fork and for a minute everyone ate in a tense silence, except for Haymitch whose food missed making it into his mouth fully some times.

You had to feel for the guy, being here year after year watching children he was suppose to help survive get killed. And this year was worse in some ways; the Quell was likely to drum up a lot more of those horrible memories he'd been using booze to smother all these years since.

"I had a friend growing up, whose father had a display case full of Quell Cards he'd collected over the years. Apparently the Haymitch Abernathy card is still the most sought after." Mort stated, trying to get the dinner conversation going again.

Li and I shared a look, both not liking the idea of our images on cards being traded around the capitol. My hands itched to sign something to her, and I saw her hand twitch slightly after setting her fork down.

Dinner finished after a little more talk about the Primus Conventum, and how all of the stylists including Katniss's and Peeta's new one were working together, which they were certain most other districts weren't doing. Portia, Peeta's Stylist seemed to be the one in charge of the theme for the clothes on the night of the Primus dinner party. Mort and Haile had free reign over our photoshoot looks. Mort went on a long tangent, which I pretended to pay polite attention to, about how they were truly lucky to be Stylists for a Quell year. The Primus, and the photoshoot gave the Stylists each two more opportunities to show off their skills and originality.

Everyone started to gather for the replay of the parade, my sister took this time to signal that she wanted to talk to me.

"I'll say goodnight to Li and be right back, save me a good spot Effie!" I called giving a slight smirk at our escort as I went down the hall after that golden brown haired sister of mine.

_Is this room safe_? I asked.

Li gave me a brisk smile that felt like a fleeting look back to the Liola from 12, not this Tribute acting so sweet and shy. She turned the pillow at the head of the bed upside down and dozens upon dozens of tiny pieces fell on to the blanket.

"My room is safe from listening devices, and the two cameras they had. However tomorrow while we are at the training center they are likely to replace them."

I appreciated the pieces on the bed for a moment, thinking about them, and the fact we were unlikely to ever be truly alone again.

"Would you mind fetching Katniss and Peeta while I change?" she asked with the tone typical of a Liola request. It was always mostly a demand with a little bit of a plea to it.

Peeta and Katniss were watching the preshow for the recap while the stylists and Effie tried to keep them engaged with conversation. I wasn't sure whose reaction I liked better when I announced to the room that Li and I needed them. Katniss's for being eager to be away from the new stylists who were very much fans of the star crossed lovers from 12, or Peet who had a serious look meaning he was ready to get down to business.

Feeling no need to knock on Li's door, as I had basically just left, I opened it right up, and instantly seeing her mostly naked went to close it. Something my eyes saw, but took a moment for my brain to catch up, made me pause as the door was half way closed.

Li stood there waiting for us, in her under things her arms casually crossed over her middle.

Peet instantly looked like he wanted to back up. Katniss being the last one in the room had to shove us further in so she could close the door completely.

Liola, aside from being the most naked I'd seen her since she had been a child, had long lashes going up her legs. They looked like they were already a couple days old, red and wet looking in some spots and scabbing over in others. Without getting closer you could see that her skin was burned slightly along the sides of the longer gashes.

"Liola!" Katniss said horrified rushing forward to look at her tribute.

"Was it during your remake?" Peet asked. I tried to form words, I really did. My stomach clenched so hard at seeing the marks, so raw and painful looking it made my body stiffen so fully I felt like an unmovable statue.

"This was my punishment for the reaping." Li swept a hand in a wave like gesture over her legs.

"They can't hide this… they… Li-" Katniss didn't seem sure what to look at, the wounds on her legs or at Li's face.

Sighing with the air of someone with infinite patience Liola took the silky looking green robe off the chair she was standing near, and pulled it on to cover her body. The second her flesh was covered and those marks obscured by the fabric my stone like stature was ripped away. I took the space between us within seconds, startling Katniss with my speed and I took my sister by her shoulders.

"This is what we've always told you would happen Li! You need to think clearer. What if they do worse to you before the games!" Why was I scolding her? I asked myself as I shook her hard once. I didn't realize I shook her again until Katniss's hands were digging into my arms to pull me off of her.

_Jo, these marks mean nothing. _

"Nothing?" I yelled stepping away from her and looking frantically to Peeta for support.

"What are they, they don't look like lashes?" his concern for her injuries made me angrier for many reasons. My reaction hadn't been as kind big brotherly as it should have been. It was the typical way I'd react to Liola doing something _I_ thought was stupid back in 12. I'd yell at her, and try to make her see reason by saying how much damage she was doing to the family. When I saw Peeta gently take Li by the shoulders I'd just roughly grabbed and guide her to the bed so she could sit, it floored me that I hadn't done it.

"It was some sort of electrical whip, from what I could tell they use it on cattle in 9. I overheard the peacekeeper say that it left no marks on 'the animals' and wouldn't mess me up too badly. They fixed the nerve damage before I was sent to my Prep team."

"Your prep team saw _these_?" the aghast reaction Katniss had was a mirror of my own.

"They were the ones to give me the cream to help heal them faster. The lie that was told was my legs had been scraped badly at our reaping."

"No more Li," I finally said. "You can't do any more outwardly rebellious actions."

Peet looked to Katniss before looking back to me.

"You took out all of the listening devices in this room didn't you?" He asked. Liola confirmed it, and then winced with one twitch of her eye as she adjusted her legs on the bed.

"Oh, for that, I am sure they will do something." I was prepared for her blatant tone, and complete calm assurance that she was likely to be hurt more by the Peacekeepers. Katniss and Peeta, however, were not.

"Why would you risk it then?" Li's mentor asked sitting next to her on the bed. Katniss had the same fretful confusion typical of my mother written all over her face.

Li smiled slowly, turning back to look at me.

"It's worth the risk. Now… we don't have much time before the replay, so we need to get strategizing. Tell us everything you've learned from Haymitch about being mentors."

I was still angry, when I found my hands itching to do something I picked up a piece of the technology Li had dismantled and played with it over my fingers to try and calm myself. We listened to Peeta explain what it was to be a mentor, with Katniss adding information here and there.

Watching Liola, I took a moment to remind myself I'd promised Vance I'd do what I could to protect her. I was going to have to let the Jols from 12 who was easily annoyed with his sister hide behind this act we were putting on for the Games. When I realized that act was showing people I loved her for who she was, I found myself hoping that it wouldn't be an act forever. Certainly I hoped I could find it in myself, before my death, to at least understand her enough to love her how Vance loved her.

**..~..**

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